The claimed invention relates generally to two fields and is directed to a novel combination of the two: one, articles of manufacture used to carry papers, files and forms, commonly called "brief cases", "attache' cases", or satchels; and two, articles of manufacture created to provide portable writing surfaces, including means to suitably clamp writing material to the writing surface.
Prior art is composed mainly of cases or satchels used to carry papers, and writing surfaces such as "clip-boards", also used to hold quantities of papers; and rather fixed or cumbersome combinations of the two such as would be used in permanent positions or placed on rollers to be moved within a relatively small area.
An example of prior art which most nearly approaches the claimed invention are aluminum sheet metal receptacles used to carry papers within and having a writing surface within or on the outer covering. Its disadvantages, which the Mini-Desk overcomes, are (1) lack of moisture resistance, (2 ) small size but heavier unit weight, (3) lack of a receptacle compartment for writing equipment storage, (4) lack of convenient handle, (5) lack of capacity to hang vertically and (6) expense of manufacture compared with features.
A part of the claimed invention, the clamping system, is an improvement over prior art in its function and purpose. The claimed clamping system simplifies manufacture and assembly when compared with prior art, and provides a clamping force suitable to restrain a single copy or relatively few copies of pressure-sensitive paper, such as "no-carbon required" paper, yet is tensioned as to provide only enough to restrain without causing marks on copies through undue clamping force.
O'Connell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,798 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,295 teaches clamping devices suitable for fixed writing surfaces and these devices are of a relatively complex nature. Medendorp, U.S. Pat. No. 953,631, taught an adjustable clamping device for a clip board. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 1,743,000 to Meader; U.S. Pat. No. 1,671,725 to Jones; U.S. Pat. No. 1,671,869 to Meader; U.S. Pat. No. 1,834,268 to Cassedy; U.S. Pat. No. 1,871,719 to Meader; U.S. Pat. No. 2,334,380 to Brinker; U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,328 to Wadsworth; U.S. Pat. No. 1,273,353 to Fuller; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,198,379 to Elder. All of these prior art devices have disadvantages which are overcome by the novel simplicity and combination of functions of the Mini-Desk.